White Robe - Chapter 27
Despite wearing a mask, Shang Shaozhang still wore a smile: "Why don't you give it a try?"
Old Man Huo stared at him intently: "I'm old... so old that I'm afraid of death... I no longer have the energy or ability to accept the challenges of young people... and I'm even less confident in accepting your challenge..." He squinted at the gray corner of the sky and murmured, "I'm not confident in taking a stab from a ruthless killer."
"Child, you must be frightened." Old Man Huo sat with us at a simple table, a brazier of charcoal burning on the ground. The thatched hut was simple and quiet, completely out of place with the grand mansion in front. The old man poured us some tea with his withered hands, and after listening to us finish speaking, he looked up at me and said, word by word, "Child, you are not from here."
A flicker of confusion crossed my eyes: "Why do you say that, old man?"
"Hehe..." Old Man Huo stroked his sparse beard. "The White-Robed Prime Minister, the White-Robed Prime Minister, if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, who would have known that the White-Robed Prime Minister was a young woman! Under my domineering presence, a woman without martial arts skills actually didn't back down an inch, which is truly remarkable..." He looked at me and said, "My children and grandchildren are ignorant and don't know how to do business properly, but they love to cause trouble for others. They suffered losses in business dealings with Guiyun Manor, so they wanted to find some lowly scoundrels to cause you trouble... Hehe, at that time I hired the number one assassin in the world to deal with them, which was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
I was shocked to hear this: "What! -- Old man, you said that Young Master Shang... you invited him..."
Old Man Huo nodded slightly: "Old Master Huo of Jiangzhou is my second son. Hmph... Do you think I'm too old and useless? Little do you know that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. If you're not as strong as others, who can you blame? My Huo family relies on integrity and honesty. How can we use such petty tricks!" As he said this, Old Man Huo slammed his withered hand on the table, and the corner of the table was knocked down by this seemingly frail old man.
I said slowly, "Old man, your magnanimity is truly admirable. Guiyun Manor is in dire straits, and the lives of everyone in the manor hang by a thread. I beg you, old man, to grant my request!" Thinking of Yun Yiyang's uncertain fate, and the entire manor of old, young, women, and children, I gritted my teeth, walked to Old Man Huo, and knelt down—
A gentle force supported my knees, preventing me from kneeling down!
Seeing me stand up, Old Man Huo withdrew his right hand and slowly smiled, "I have long heard of the noble and refined Minister in white robes. Today, Guiyun Manor has suddenly encountered an enemy. Even though I am old and frail, how could I not lend a helping hand? This is simply my duty, how could I accept such a great gift from the Minister? The safety of Guiyun Manor rests on my shoulders." After saying this, he reached out, picked up his teacup, and slowly sipped it, saying, "I am truly grateful that the Minister in white robes can trust someone I have just met." Suddenly, a sharp glint shot out from his half-open eyes and pierced me.
I raised my eyebrows and said, word by word, "Because Guiyun Manor has no way out now. Whether we win or lose this gamble, at least we have a 50% chance of winning..." I gently stroked the teacup with one hand and said resolutely, "However, even if we only have a 20% chance of winning, I will still gamble on behalf of Guiyun Manor!"
The victor is king, the loser is villain; defeat means death!
Since this disaster originated with me, I am determined to suppress it!
Wherever there is gambling, there are wins and losses, and the winners and losers are often determined by luck.
I can't believe my luck is that bad.
"Hahahaha..." Old Man Huo stood up and laughed loudly. In that instant, I suddenly felt that the person standing in front of me was no longer a hunched and frail old man, but a powerful and imposing overlord who looked down upon the world! After laughing, Old Man Huo stared intently at my pale face and slowly said, "Seeing is believing... Having met the White-Robed Minister, I, Huo, now know that women can surpass men..." A faint red light flashed in Old Man Huo's eyes, and his face seemed somewhat ferocious. "No wonder everyone wants to take you. If they can't take you, they will destroy you! In just one year, you have already controlled the textile industry in Shanxi. If we could have you, what difficulty would it be to dominate the twelve states of the north and south!... If my Huo family wanted you, why would we be entrenched here..." Old Man Huo became more and more agitated as he spoke, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his reddened eyes—
Shang Shaochang stood behind me, leisurely reciting: "Huo Qing of Jiangbei, a man of his word is as good as gold."
These eight simple words seemed to thunder in Old Man Huo's ears! His straight body suddenly stiffened, and the red light in his eyes slowly faded. In an instant, he transformed back into that frail old man, seemingly even more weak and decrepit than before. He slowly raised his eyes, which no longer held the vitality of youth, replaced by the weariness and dimness typical of his age. He murmured, "Old... old... how could I think like that? Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, how could I, an old man, possibly care... how could I possibly trouble a young girl..." Old Man Huo looked at me and slowly said, "Child, I apologize for what you said earlier... alas... I was just thinking, if any of my children or grandchildren were as talented as you... everyone has their own destiny, perhaps I, an old man, am asking for too much..." He shook his head and said, "Today I will send people to Guiyun Manor to strictly guard the people within. I, Huo Qing, keep my word, you can rest assured."
Looking at the old man, I suddenly felt an indescribable sadness and melancholy. Perhaps he was a powerful and ambitious figure in his youth, once dominating the world and reigning supreme... But who hasn't had such a day?
I stammered, "Old man..."
Old Man Huo suddenly smiled kindly, his eyes narrowing, and said, "Go on... When you have time, don't forget to visit this old man." He looked at me, a hint of mischief in his eyes, and said, "You can go out through the gate over there. Young Master Shang has already walked through this gate more than a dozen times. There's no need to climb over walls or do anything like that."
"Ah..." I opened my eyes wide and finally understood what was going on. It turned out that there was no need to jump over the wall to get to Old Man Huo's place! It was all because—that Young Master Shang wanted to take advantage of me! That's why he came up with this lame excuse to take advantage of me! I stared intently at that number one lecherous wolf, and I had already killed him a thousand times in my heart!
I watched as the old man saw us to the door, then slowly and unsteadily turned and walked back into the house. Finally, I couldn't help but ask, "Old man, why did you say I wasn't from here?"
The old man turned around, smiled, and said, "Your brilliance is too dazzling... Whether you are a man or a woman, your words, your actions, your mind... you and we are from two different worlds." After he finished speaking, the door of the thatched hut finally closed.
I remained motionless, pondering his words for a long time, my mind a complete blank. Until Shang Shaochang said in a deep voice, "We should go." I nodded, and as soon as I took a step, I suddenly felt a tickle in my throat. With a "whoosh," I vomited a mouthful of blood without any attempt to contain it. Immediately, everything went black, and my body uncontrollably collapsed into Shang Shaochang's arms.
Old Man Huo's domineering attitude ultimately hurt me.
Chapter Sixteen: Where the Clouds Rise and the Water Ends
The carriage was painted with black tung oil, and inside were layers upon layers of warm, embroidered cotton quilts, making it both cozy and comfortable. Yun Yiyang and I sat inside, our faces equally pale.
The horse pulling the carriage was Shang Shaochang's magnificent "Big Black." This fine steed seemed to have no complaints about being led to pull such a "lowly" job, and trotted along happily.
The one driving the carriage was naturally Shang Shaozhang.
Sitting in the carriage, the bumpy ride was inevitable. I sat on the brocade couch, my brows furrowed, my mind in turmoil. I had already reviewed the events of the past few days, and the whole affair seemed riddled with inconsistencies, utterly perplexing. Each event appeared to be a flaw, yet they were all interconnected, making it difficult to find a breakthrough. Why did those gray-clad assassins come looking for me, wanting to kill me? The short sword in Meng Qing's hand was forged with the most potent and insidious poison, "Bone-Corroding." If Yun Yiyang hadn't taken the blow for me, I would be dead now. I didn't believe I had any enemies. Who hired these gray-clad assassins? And why did that person target Guiyun Manor? Could it be that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down? Guiyun Manor had risen so rapidly in the past year, only to have committed a grave offense against some people?
Why did Shang Shaochang appear at Guiyun Manor at this time?
A ruthless killer, a master of embroidery, a master painter... what's going on here?
Who is Old Man Huo?
Why was Shang Shaochang willing to help?
……………
The final point of contention, surprisingly, focused on Shang Shaochang.
I sighed softly. Despite having seen countless people, at this moment, I couldn't discern the deep scheming hidden beneath Shang Shaochang's ever-present smile! Right now, Yun Yiyang and I need to trust him the most, but we also need to be most wary of him!
In his eyes, Yun Yiyang and I are now no different from two helpless children.
"Sister Bai..." A weak call broke my thoughts. I smiled at Yun Yiyang and asked, "Yiyang, are you feeling better now?"
Yun Yiyang raised his head, his pale face appearing even thinner, and slowly said, "It's the same as always... Sister Bai... can you walk... cough cough..." After saying that, a loud cough burst out of his mouth.
I reached out and gently patted his back to help him catch his breath, then frowned and said, "With Guiyun Manor in this state, how could I possibly leave? ...Besides, Sister Bai is quite ill herself, so where could she possibly go?"
"Is that so..." Yun Yiyang stared straight up at the top of the carriage and murmured, "I always felt... that Sister Bai wouldn't stay with us for long... Sister Bai was like a fairy who descended from heaven to earth, suddenly appearing in our home and bringing us so much good fortune, but she was like a gust of wind. I don't know when she will leave, or when she will abandon us... cough cough cough..." Yun Yiyang took a deep breath, and he spoke these words with great difficulty, as if he had no strength left even to cough.
"You...you child, what nonsense are you talking about!" A trace of sadness flashed in my eyes, and I quickly supported his swaying body. Yun Yiyang shook his head repeatedly, took a breath, and said softly, "I know...my sister isn't from here...your accent, your mannerisms, your demeanor...they're all different from ours! But I've never asked, nor dared to ask. I just think that this is the happiest moment of my life. Although I don't know when my sister will leave, right now, she's by my side..."
A wave of sadness washed over me, and for a moment I didn't know what to say. After a long while, I shook my head and said softly, "Silly child, even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't. The world is so big, where else can I find refuge besides Guiyun Manor? Only here can I always feel at ease."
A faint smile appeared on Yun Yiyang's pale cheeks. "Yiyang knows that on that night... the moment I held you, I realized that I still couldn't keep you here. You are like this gentle breeze, you are meant to be free and unrestrained. Who in this world can keep you? How could anyone keep you?... You... are ultimately not meant to be mine..." Yun Yiyang murmured a few words before falling into a deep sleep again.
“You…” My cold fingers brushed his forehead, and all I could do was sigh. This sincere and cheerful young man, I was afraid I would have to betray his feelings, but what could I do? Ever since what happened in college, I had resolved never to fall in love again. I only felt guilty towards Yun Yiyang, but I felt absolutely no romantic love for him.
"Hahahaha...hehehehehe...whooshhahahoo..." The carriage suddenly stopped without warning, and a series of sharp, piercing ghostly laughs suddenly came from all around. Hearing them made one's heart pound. It was noon, but a chilling wind seemed to blow, sending shivers down one's spine. A high-pitched voice suddenly rang out: "Is this carriage carrying goods from Guiyun Manor?"
Shang Shaochang's slow voice rang out from outside the carriage: "Hehe... There are two people in the carriage, but they're not exactly scum... And who are you...?"
Another rough, hoarse voice followed: "Hahaha—we're the ones who bought your lives! Kid, while your head's still on your neck, run as far as you can!"
"Heh...the person who bought his life..." Shang Shaochang's voice was leisurely and carefree, "How could I leave in a situation like this?"